Woman&#39;s underskirt.



PATENTED AUG. 14, 1906..

A. L. SYKES. WOMAN'S UNDERSKIRT-N APPLIOATION rum) NOV. 1a. 1eoa.

0&5

0., wAsl-lmcromb. c.

ALEXANDER LIVING SYKES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WQIVIANS UNDERSKIRT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14;, 1906.

Application filed November 13,1905. SerialNo. 287.143.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER LIVING SYKEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn,'in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Womens Underskirts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to'make and use the same.

My invention relates to a novel construction in a womans underskirt, the object being to provide a skirt which can be readily shortened in a very convenient manner; and it consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a central longi tudinal section of an underskirt constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same reduced in length by means of devices made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the shortened skirt. Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary vertical section, on an enlarged scale, showing the means for shortening the skirt. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view in elevation, showing the fastening means on an enlarged scale.

At the present time women are obliged to provide themselves with underskirts of various lengths in order to fit the costumes which they are obliged to wear for various purposes-that is to say, they provide themselves with short underskirts or etticoats for street wear and full length for d fess occasions. Manufacturers of underskirts are further obliged to carry in stock 'underskirts of a large number of diflerent lengths and waist measures, and this naturally requires a large amount of space and a larger investment at all times than is convenient. Dealers are in the same predicament and are obliged to carry in stock a large assortment in the same manner.

My invention is designed to enable the number of skirt lengths carried to be very largely reduced by providing means on the skirt-body for shortening the same, so that it will be necessary only for the manufacturer and dealer, as well as the wearer, to carry in stock only full-length skirts, which can be shortened by the wearer to suit her figure. To this end I provide on the under side of the underskirt A, between the ends thereof, preferably at the knee portion, a plurality of circumferential rows of loops B, made of a suitable flexible fabric and sewed to the body of the skirt in a well-known manner. The said rows of loops are preferably spaced apart at about the same intervals, though such intervals maybe varied to suit the requirements.

In order to shorten the skirt, it is necessary only to insert the loops B of a lower row over the loops of the upper row, so that the latter project therefrom, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and by then drawing a draw-string O through the said projecting portion of the upper loops B the lower loops will obviously be held in place thereon and a tuck D thus taken in the skirt. The said tuck may obviously be pressed, by means of a sad-iron, to render the same smooth, and such tuck will serve to stiffen the skirt in a certain degree, acting in this respect about the same as a ruffle.

By the use of flexible loops B, I obtain the advantage that the skirt may be washed and ironed and in the Washing passed through a wringer without danger of tearing off, said loops, and besides this by avoiding the use of any metallic fastening means I prevent discoloration and tearing of the skirt. The said loops B are small .and do not in anyway disfigure, and being on the under side of the garment are invisible, as shown in Fig. 3. The said draw-string C may consist of a tape or any other suitable material which is preferably a trifle stiff, so that it will not fold readily to prevent the lower loop from slipping down upon the same. The length of the draw-string should be sufficient to enable the same to encircle the entire garment, so that it will not pucker or shirr the same.

I claim as my invention 1. A womans underskirt provided between its ends with a plurality of circumferentiallydisposed rows of loops, those of a lower row being adapted to receive those of an upper row, and retaining means adapted to be passed through the free ends of the inserted 2 A womans underskirt provided between its ends with a plurality of circumferentiallydisposed rows of flexible fastening devices, those of an upper row being adapted to be passed through those of a lower row, and a draw-string adapted to be passed through the free end portions of the inserted fastenings to hold said lower fastenings in place.

3. A skirt provided between its ends with TIO a plurality of eircumferentially-disposed rows of flexible loops, said loo s of a lower row being adapted to receive t e loops of an upper row when it is desired to shorten the skirt, and a draw-string adapted to be passed through the male loops to hold the female loops 1n position thereon substantially as described.

4. A skirt provided between its ends with a plurality of circumferentially-disposed equidistant rows of flexible loops, the loops of each row corresponding in number and relative position, said loops of one row being adapted to receive the loops of another row to shorten the skirt and being held in place thereon by means of a draw-stringpassing through said inserted row of loops at their free end portions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing wit- 2o nesses.

ALEXANDER LIVING SYKES.

Witnesses:

RUDOLPH WM. Lo'rz, E. F. WILsoN. 

